Qualification Program Science Journalism

Stem  cell research, genetically engineered food, electromagnetic pollution-scientific topics dominate public and policymaking debates. Citizens want to know how their own lives are or will be affected by science. It is the joint task of the media and the scientific community to explain what modern science is all about and to put its results into perspective. With this program, the Bertelsmann Stiftung hopes to enhance the quality of science journalism in Germany, facilitate the exchange between science, the media and the business sector, and ultimately foster an informed public discussion of the opportunities and risks of scientific research. Project targets:

• Offering advanced training for science journalists
• Encouraging media competence in scientists
• Improving university studies in science journalism
• Facilitating communication and networking between journalists and scientists.

The Bertelsmann Stiftung, BASF and the Volkswagen Foundation have conceived this joint program as a response to society's growing interest in scientific topics and debates. According to a study by the Bertelsmann Stiftung, over 60 percent of the journalists in Germany assume that public interest in such topics will continue to increase. Particularly "life sciences"-genetic engineering, medicine, health, nutrition and biotechnology-are regarded as hot topics of the future. To find their bearings in such difficult surroundings, journalists need specialized knowledge and access to the scientific world. Scientists, on the other hand, will increasingly be expected to communicate their research more openly to the public.

The project's aim is to improve the training and education of science journalists in Germany and to help scientists and researchers work with the media. It consists of several modules including seminars for journalists and scientists, platforms to improve the communication and networking between the scientific community, the media and the business sector as well as financial support for university-level coursework. The program started in 2002 and will run through 2007. Advanced training seminars on science journalism are offered for editors and freelancers. These provide special knowledge and professional skills relevant to science journalists as well as contacts to researchers in academia and industry. Topics include strategies of inquiry, assessment of information and Internet-based research; in addition, high-ranking scientists shed light on their fields of research. Finally, each seminar includes a visit to a renowned research facility during which participants can practice their journalistic skills. The seminars take place in all regions of Germany. Past seminars have been held in Bremen (October 2003), Ludwigshafen (March 2004), Cologne (June 2004), Leipzig (October 2004) and Berlin (April 2005); the next seminar will take place in Munich in December 2005. Interested editors and freelancers can apply for scholarships (see download information).

A mentoring program aims to help young scientists to enter science journalism. The nine-month schedule includes basic training in journalism, two internships in the editorial department of leading media outlets as well as a "free" research phase (participating media are listed under links). Each participant is coached by an experienced mentor who assists in acquiring journalistic skills and provides access to background information and networks. A first group of mentees completed the program in May 2005. After a thorough evaluation of the results, the program will run a second time. An exclusive summer academy for science journalists is scheduled for September 2005. Around 15 journalists representing leading German media will be invited for a two-week visit to New York and Boston/Cambridge. The program's goal is to provide contacts to key players in science and science journalism in the United States and highlight cutting-edge topics in US research. The program includes visits to renowned research institutes, media outlets, and journalism schools, as well as lectures by top authorities on scientific issues and journalistic practices.

With the WissensWerte conference, the Bertelsmann Stiftung (together with program partners the German Journalists Association and the Bremen Trade Fair) has established an important meeting point for science journalists, science communicators and researchers interested in the media. After the successful premiere in November 2004 in Bremen the event will be organized annually. The conference is the first of its kind in the German-speaking world. It is designed as a forum for the exchange of information about new development in science and journalism and the formation of networks. The three-day program includes panel discussions with prominent guests, talks by leading scientists about cutting-edge research and advanced workshops on science journalism. The WissensWerte conference will take place in Bremen from November 28-30, 2005. (Further information can be found at http://www.wissenswerte-bremen.de/, see also the WissensWerte flyer under Downloads). Furthermore, the project aims to foster the establishment of new university programs targeting "intermediaries between worlds."

The goal is to familiarize students of the natural sciences, medicine and technology with the requirements of press coverage, and provide basic training in science for students of journalism. As the result of a bid invitation (organized by the Volkswagen Foundation), the project partners are supporting the development of a bachelor program in Science Journalism at the Technical University in Darmstadt and new modules within the Science Journalism bachelor program at the University of Dortmund.

Website: www.bertelsmann-stiftung.de/wissenschaftsjournalismus

Partners: BASF Aktiengesellschaft, VolkswagenStiftung

Project period: July 1, 2002 - December 31, 2007